Friends like family: How newcomers are building lasting friendships through cricket

Praveen Chezhian, an IT professional who moved to Calgary from India in 2022, was excited to start a new life with his family. 

Despite the huge change, Chezhian and his family weren't overwhelmed thanks to support from other residents in their apartment complex in southwest Calgary.

Some of the residents were Chezhian's colleagues and were happy to show him the ropes as he got accustomed to a new life.

"When new people came in, the old timers very warmly welcomed all the newcomers," Chezhian said.

"From being office colleagues, you know, we became neighbours and then we are now friends like families."

One of the primary challenges for Chezhian was to overcome a mundane lifestyle and find ways to keep himself engaged after work, a sentiment that was shared by some of his peers.

The group started a cricket club, scheduling regular games at a school that agreed to let the cricket enthusiasts use its outdoor space.

"Cricket is close to our hearts, especially Indians, [we] enjoy every bit of it," Chezhian said.

"All of us tended to unite for two to three hours every evening. While we played briskly, our partners took leisure walk[s] around the ground, and our kids enjoyed the play arena."

While the group only had around 10 members in the beginning, it quickly grew popular among other residents and now has 40 players.

There's no pressure to be a star player — individuals from different age groups are welcome to join and test their skills.

A lack of experience isn't a problem either, according to Chezhian who said that the team is happy to help new members pick up the sport.

Like Chezhian, Leela Krishna grew up watching cricket and learned to play the sport as a child, surrounded by scores of cricket enthusiasts who taught him